Before we take a break

Janna and Carole finished their cowls this week. This lovely green Chevron Cowl is Janna's creation.

 And Carole finished her Swimming with Salmon cowl. The coral colored yarn even looks like salmon.

 Janna wanted to start a new scarf this week and bless her heart, she knitted a gauge swatch first! 

 The cuff of Elaine's hat is a few inches longer this week.

 As is my Chevron Cowl. The yarn is from the talented Karin Maag-Tanchak of Periwinkle Sheep fame.

 Cinzia grasped the concept of brioche stitch and was off and running with her two tone cowl.

 Dorah's Railroad Tracks hat is working up nicely. The deep cuff has a distinct ribbing created by knitting into the back loop to give the stitch a twist.

Carole's brioche cowl has grown since last week and she is finding her rhythm with the stitches.

Barbara is getting the hang of her brioche cowl too. 

Last Friday my son texted me the photo below of a sticker and asked if I could knit a "cat size" version.

So when faced with a challenge, I step up and give it a try. And sure enough, I knitted a pretty close duplicate for Joules. She was VERY patient with my son and me while we tried to get her photo. About 60 seconds into the photo shoot, she let us know she had had enough and tossed the hat aside.

I don't know if I showed you this project in progress but I realized that Joules was the only family member who didn't have a Christmas stocking so I had to remedy the situation. And yes, I know it's huge! It has to be to fit her treats!

                                       

Well, the Chicks and I will be taking a two week break for the holidays. We all send our best wishes for the season and a happy and healthy new year. Keep those needles clicking and we'll see you back here on January 8, 2019.

Some "stealth projects"

Elaine laughed when I took the picture of her project because it's just the cast on stitches. But you have to start somewhere! And maybe someone will be inspired to start a hat of their own.

 Janna started her "Stealth Project" last week and has made good progress already. Some of us worked on Christmas gifts and this was one of them. The pattern is the Chevron Cowl which shows off the color changes nicely. You can see the new band of color just starting at the needle edge.

 I picked up a project which was in time out for a while, not because I didn't like it but because other things just became more of a priority. This is a head band in the Rose-hip stitch using a bit of baby alpaca which was left over from another project. I didn't want to waste the yarn but it wasn't enough for a hat so a head band fit the requirements.

 Barbara and Carole are learning two color brioche and are making cowls. The edging is a Latvian braid and the brioche starts a few rows in. 

 They are both doing a fine job. This will be a thick and warm fabric when it's finished.

 Margaret's 1898 hat is almost finished. It's only the second time she's knitted it and it can be a bit tricky, so she's working out the kinks. But it's coming along nicely.

 Maureen started the Pixie hood just like the one I made for one of my grandson's. It took me a few tries to figure out the construction of it but eventually I got it. I think Maureen will be fine with this pattern.

 Another "Stealth Project" is a Christmas stocking I'm making for Joules the kitty. I realized the other day that everyone in the family has a stocking hanging over our fireplace except her! So I had to get right on it. Yes, it will be large but it needs to be so I can slip some toys and treats in it.

 That cute little hat that Maureen was working on last week is finished and in the inventory already.

 Two days ago my son came to collect his kitty, Joules. After loving her and being part of her staff for 10 months, I had to leave the house so I wouldn't cry. Also because I didn't want Joules to think I had a hand in her kit-napping! ;)

 After worrying about her leaving, I was assured she was happy being back at home. Look at that lovable face!

 The first thing she did was to make sure all the Christmas decorations were done properly.

 And after investigating all the new renovations in her house she needed a well deserved rest. 

My son assured me Joules will get just as much cuddling at home as she did when she was with me. If that isn't an expression of contentment, I don't know what is!

I miss my cuddle buddy but I know she's in good hands. And I can visit her, if she invites me. ;)

Well, that's all for this week. Keep those needles clicking and I hope you get all your Christmas knitting finished on time!

Some donation knitting, some Christmas knitting

Janna's handiwork starts off this week's show and tell. She knitted a hat for her son with the same yarn she used to make his first baby blanket 16 years ago. The body of the blanket was the soft yellow in the stripe and the goldenrod was the crocheted edging. How sweet that he'll have his baby blanket hat to wear as a teenager.

 

 Barbara finished a pretty purple hat with 2X2 ribbed edge for our inventory. She used a soft, washable acrylic yarn.

 Margaret finished a two year project, a warm wrap for her daughter.

 The nice repeat pattern forms pleats all by itself.

 Last Saturday I attended the open house yarn sale at Periwinkle Sheep where I bought this lovely tonal, DK weight, merino yarn in the colorway 11 Ways to Dry a Chili Pepper. It's going to become the Chevron Cowl, an easy to memorize two row pattern, knit in the round.

 Elaine is knitting a gift for her granddaughter for Christmas, a llama patterned hat. When it was time to knit the second set of checkerboard rows, she came to the second set of blocks and it looked like the colors were out of order. There were four white stitches in a row where it seemed as though there were supposed to be two gray and two white. She and I looked it over for about 15 minutes when Elaine had just about decided to frog the row and start over when it occurred to me that knitting in the round is actually a spiral not individual rows which meant that if she continued to knit alternating the gray and white stitches, it would all even out by the end of the round. And thankfully, it looked correct!

 Barbara and Carole wanted to learn how to knit brioche stitch with a braided edge so we started tonight. It's going to take at least four rows before we actually see the braided edge.

 And once the edge is completed, the brioche stitches will begin. I can't wait to see it take shape.

 You can see Maureen's baby hat with the ear flaps taking shape. It looks like a mini version of the 1898 hat we like to knit.

 Dorah has finished the cuff of her hat and next week she'll start the crown portion.

 Margaret finished the band of her 1898 hat and she has to graft the edges together. Then she'll pick up stitches from the edge for the crown of the hat.

Joules is going home this weekend so I won't have my cuddle buddy to sit with me when I knit. Or follow me and wait outside the bathroom door when I shower. Or sit on the bathroom vanity to watch me put on my makeup. Or sit at my feet at 9:30 EVERY NIGHT, staring into my face until I walk her to her food bowl and give her a treat. I've been trying to get extra cuddles because once she goes home she forgets who I am. When I visit her at her house she treats me like chopped chicken liver! LOL! 

It's been a wonderful nine months of having Joules all to myself but her family misses her and now that their renovations are complete, they want her back. I'm really going to miss her sweet little face and soft, warm fur. I'll try not to cry...too hard.